Grammy ratings drop from last year's post-Whitney Houston telecast

Despite some heavy star power, the 55th Annual Grammy Awards declined in the ratings from last year’s record-setting telecast.

CBS’ coverage of the music special delivered a powerful 28.1 million viewers and a 10.0 rating among adults 18-49 on Sunday night.

But that’s down 30 percent in viewers and down 27 percent in the demo from last year’s awards which aired a day after Whitney Houston’s death.

Insiders expected the Grammy audience to drop given the unusual and tragic circumstances surrounding last year’s airing. Still, the Grammys enjoyed its second-largest audience since 1993 and easily won the night. During the show, folk-rock band Mumford & Sons, singer Gotye, bluesy duo the Black Keys and pop band fun all took home major awards.

Meanwhile some rivals were crushed. ABC’s Once Upon a Time and Revenge both fell to series-low ratings – Revenge, in particular, is looking pretty dire with a 1.4 rating. Fox’s comedy block leader Family Guy was down 17 percent. And NBC’s Betty White’s 90th Birthday special was the night’s lowest-rated show (and that includes a Bob’s Burgers repeat that aired at 7 p.m.).

UPDATE: Some asking if AMC’s The Walking Dead was a factor. The show was on during last year’s Grammys too, though this year will be higher rated. Those numbers coming later today.